Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level : Vainu Bappu Observatory
Mains level : Not Much
The several stellar discoveries of the 40-inch telescope at the Vainu Bappu Observatory in Kavalur, Tamil Nadu, were highlighted at the celebration of its 50 years of its operation.
Vainu Bappu Observatory
- The Vainu Bappu Observatory is an astronomical observatory owned and operated by the Indian Institute of Astrophysics.
- It is located at Kavalur in the Javadi Hills, near Vaniyambadi in Tirupathur district in Tamil Nadu.
- The 40-inch telescope was installed in 1972 and started producing important astronomical discoveries soon after.
- More than a generation of astronomers were trained at this telescope as well.
Significant feats achieved by VBO
The telescope set up by Professor Vainu Bappu has played a significant role in astronomy with major discoveries like-
- Presence of rings around the planet Uranus,
- New satellite of Uranus,
- Presence of an atmosphere around Ganymede which is a satellite of Jupiter
- Discovery and study of many ‘Be stars’, Lithium depletion in giant stars, optical variability in Blazars, the dynamics of the famous supernova SN 1987A and so on.
